Turkiye Vice President: "If Hezbollah Leader's Assassination Is Confirmed, Escalation Is Inevitable"

Sevdet Yılmaz, Vice President of T?rkiye, stated on the 28th (local time) that if the announcement that the Israeli military eliminated Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, is true, an escalation in the Middle East would be inevitable.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In an interview with CNN on the same day, Vice President Yılmaz said, "Of course, we need to verify this information," but added, "This will clearly lead to the spread of conflict in the region." He further stated, "In fact, this is what Israel aims to achieve."

The Israeli military conducted an airstrike on Dahieh, south of Beirut, Lebanon, where a Hezbollah command meeting was held the previous day. Israel confirmed that the airstrike resulted in the deaths of not only Nasrallah but also some members of the Hezbollah command, including Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollah's southern front.

Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei has evacuated to a secure domestic location with enhanced security for his safety, and Iran is reportedly discussing follow-up measures in response to Nasrallah's elimination with Hezbollah and other groups.